Flexible car diaphragm



Oct. 8, 1940. M. SEEL FLEXIBLE CAR DIAPHRAGM Filed March 15 1940 5 Sh6etS-Shet 1 INVENTOR; Minx S2211,

. ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES; FIG 1 g j- 0a. a, 1940. M EEL 2,217,601

FLEXIBLE CAR DIAPHRAGM Filed March 13, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: I N V EN TOR:

, 1 m" 42M" ax ,Seel,

A TTORNEYS'.

Oct. 8, 1940. M SEEL FLEXIBLE CAR DIAPHRAGM Filed March 13, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NE W W INVENTOR: m1: ,S'eeZ/ ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 8, 1940. SEEL FLEXIBLE CAR DIAPHRAGM Filed March 15, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR: Mil/x ,Seel, BY WW ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

Oct. 8, 1940. M. E

FLEXIBLE CAR DIAPHRAGM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 13, 1940 'IIII I N V EN TOR: Max ,Seeb, W W

A T'I'ORNE YS.

IVI'INESSES:

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES FLEXIBLE OAR DIAPHRAGM Max Seel, Lansdowne. Pa., assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 13, 1940, Serial No. 323,688

4 Claims.

This invention has reference, in its broader aspects, to vestibule construction for railway cars and, more particularly, to the species forming the subject-matter of a companion case, filed concurrently herewith under Serial Number 323,- 686, said species being primarily devised for connecting the adjoining ends of non-articulated cars. Car passageway connections of the referred to type comprise sliding foot and ceiling plates with collapsible side diaphragms.

The primary object of the present invention is to substantially safeguard and protect car vestibule connections of the indicated character against the ingress of surrounding atmospheric conditions, as well as effectively prevent entry thereinto of trackway dirt, cinders and so forth.

Another object is to protect vestibule connections as above specified by aid of spacially-related sheet units that, when assembled, constitute flexible junctures between adjoining railway car ends, and which are of a character to inherently adapt themselves to the variable running relations between said car ends during passage of the connected cars over differential curves in the trackway, switches and turnouts, or changes in elevation caused by uneven rails and relative spring deflections, as well as swaying.

A further object is to furnish readily attachable and inter-related flexible diaphragm units which can be easily detached when repair or renewal becomes necessary.

Other objects and ancillary advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear, or be specifically noted, as the nature thereof is more fully explained, said invention consisting substantially in certain novel features of construction, the combinations and correlations of parts hereinafter disclosed and typically illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein corresponding reference characters are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views; while the concluding claims more particularly define the features of novelty.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of adjoining non-articulated railway car ends, the left-hand car vestibule connection being in part vertical section to better disclose the otherwise hidden interior structure.

Fig. 2 is a transversely broken vertical section, taken approximately on the plane 11-11 of Fig. 1, and drawn to a larger scale for purposes of clarity.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the plane IIl.I1I in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a broken fragmentary section approximately on the plane IV-IV of Fig. 2, but drawn to substantially larger scale for better illustration of the details.

Fig. 5 is a broken fragmentary vertical section, taken approximately between the plane indicating arrows VV in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a larger scale sectional detail within the confines of the dotted rectangle VI of the inner diaphragm assembly.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan section taken as indicated by the arrows VII-VII in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a broken enlarged detail plan section. taken as indicated by the arrows VI1IVIII in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a similar section to the preceding, but taken on the plane lX-Di of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a broken vertical fragmentary section on the plane XX in Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 11 is a larger scale sectional detail, within the confines of the dotted rectangle XI in Fig. 2, of the outer diaphragm assembly.

In the following detailed explanation of the constructive embodiment of this invention, illustrated by the accompanying five sheets of draw- 25 ings, specific terms will be employed for the sake of clarity, but it is to be understood that such terms are used in a descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. Each specific term is intended to include all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish an analogous result. V

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the adjoining ends of non-aiticulated railway cars are each comprehensively designated by the reference character I, said ends being connected by a vestibule passageway 2. Each car end I, in accordance with known practice, includes a bumper-sill 3 and stationary foot plate 4, as well as a ceiling plate 5; while Ii-Fig. 3--indicates a sliding foot-plate in'accordance with the subject-matter of the hereinbefore referred to companion application. The passageway 3 is defined by vestibule posts 1, between which are collapsible metallic diaphragms, also in accordance with the noted application, and not shown, while 8, 9, respectively, indicate the channel-section intermediate and car end corner posts, respectively; said parts being merely mentioned herein to provide a proper background in explaining the present improvements.

Connected by means hereafter fully explained, to the intermediate and corner posts 8, 9, are inner and outer flexible side diaphragm sheets [0, II, with associated top or ceiling sections l2, l3, respectively.

The side diaphragms I preferably, although not essentially, each consist of an approximately rectangular sheet l4, of suitable rubber and appropriate dimensions to extend vertically downwards from the top level of the vestibule passageway 2 to below the level of the stationary footplate 4, as well as laterally between the car endwalls l5; said sheet having its longer side edges inwardly reinforced with a single ply of threeinch wide, six ounce, duck l8-Fig. 7-appiied on the bias in the middle 'of the rubber sheet l4, in accordance with known practice. The sheet I4 has its longer sides retroverted inwards at IT, Figs. 4 and '7, to substantially U-shape with intervening flat bars l8 having the longitudinal edges rounded, as shown, to prevent cha flng, and said retroversions I! with the bars 18 are snugly engaged in the grooves of U-section members IS, the outer or longer portion edge whereof is bulbed at 20 for abutment against the rounded edge 2i of an angle-section bearing bar 22. Farticular attention is here directed to the fact that the parts I4, ll, l8 and I9 are first assembled and united together by spaced counter-sink rivets or the like 23, and when so assembled the members H! are attached to the bearing bars 22 by intervening spacially-related machine screws 24 fitted with lock-washers 25 and nuts 26. Thus it will be readily appreciated each flexible diaphragm I0 is easily connected to the bearing bars 22, and similarly removed therefrom by screwingup or backing-off the nuts 25. The bearing bars 22 are, in turn, permanently secured to the outer flanges of the channel-section carend intermediate posts 8, preferably by aid of through bolts 21 having their nuts 28 immovably secured by welds 29, in an obvious manner; and it is to be further remarked the bars 22 have their lower portions inwardly turned at 30 so that the lower portion of the: sheet l4 slopingly underlies, at 3|, the adjoining parts of the footplates 4 and 6, as clearly understandable from Figs. 2 and 3, so as to clear any intervening structure, as well as serving to appreciably prevent entry and accumulation of roadbed dirt, cinders, and so forth, on the upper face of said underlying portion 3| of the sheet l4.

Substantially in like manner, the ceiling sheet I2 is provided with flanking retroversions l1, flat bars l8, U-section members I9, and bearing bars 22', all assembled and secured together by rivets 23', as before described, hence repetitive explanation is dispensed with. It is, however, to be observed more particularly from Figs. 2, 5 and 6, that the bearing bars 22' for the ceiling sheet i2, have the attaching flange portions cut-away inwardly to points 33, while the remaining unremoved sections 34 are curved and angled down to substantially lap and reinforce the upper portions of the bearing bars 22. The corresponding portions of the U-section members I! are complementally curved and angled as indicated at 35 in Fig. 6, while the items l1, l9, i9, 22', 23' and 24' are all assembled and secured together as before set forth; and in addition thereto, the sections 34 and associated parts are rigidly attached to the bars l8 by spaced through-bolts 39, Fig. 6, so that the rubber side sheets l4 and ceiling sheet form a substantially continuous sealing diaphragm intermediate the adjoining car end walls l5, and about the sides and top of the vestibule passageway 2 to the effective exclusion of draft, dirt, cinders, and so forth, entering thereinto.

Referring now to the outer flexible or weatherproofing preferably made in one piece to include the side diaphragms H and ceiling 13 which jointly extend between the respective car end corner posts 9 and end walls l5, as clearly understandable from Figs. 1, 3 and 8, each diaphragm part i I has the vertical edges retroverted at 31 with an intervening flat bar 33. This retroversion 3! and the bar 38 are engaged in the U-section members 39, and secured thereto by countersink rivets 40, in like manner to the attachment of the side sheets l4 to the members l9 hereinbefore described. At this juncture, it is to be particularly noted in connection with both U-section members l9 and 39, that in crosssection the bulb-edged portion 20 (and 4|), and the rounding, merge to a rectangular corner, thus affording a longitudinal abutment 42 for alignment with the confronting edge of the respective car side wall sheets 43, so as to streamline the connected parts. In order to connect the diaphragm portions II to the car end posts 9, use is made of vertical angles 44 conveniently attached to the corner posts 9 by rivets 45 engaged through one flange thereof, and to the other or lengthwise projecting flange, the U-section members 39 are rigidly secured by throughbolts 46, having lock washers 41 and nuts 43, with said U-section member abutment portions 42 in registration with the edges of the wall sheets 43.

As regards the ceiling portion 13 of the weathering sheet, said portion has the edges retroverted at 31' with an intervening flat bar 38' and associated U-section member 39', all connected together by rivets 40', as before described. The member 39', it is to be remarked, however, is arcuateiy cambered to the roof contour of the car ends i, with the ends rounded downwards at 50, and similarly a bearing bar 49 is complementally shaped for butt-welding at 5| to the upper confronting ends of the vertical angles 44. In addition, it is to be noted the holes 52 for passage of the through-bolts 46 are elongated, alternatingly with respect to the counter-sink rivets 40 to accommodate the relatively greater degree of flexing inhering to the weathering sheet ll, l3, as a whole, over the inner diaphragm assembly l0, [2 by virtue of the increased angular movement to which the attaching members 44, 49 are subjected over the members 22, 22', during normal and abnormal operating conditions.

From the foregoing the merits and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those acquainted with the art. It is, however, to be borne in mind that various detail changes may be made in adapting the improved flexible diaphragms of this invention to different types of railway cars, and coaches, without departing from the essential features hereinbefore disclosed. Accordingly, nothing in this specification shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment, as to the whole or any part thereof, except as defined in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination withvestibule structure for connecting non-articulated railway car ends of two spacedly-related substantially-paralleling rubber sheet diaphragms, each of said diaphragms having the car adjoining portions retroverted; reinforcing rigid bars interposed in the retroversions; associated U-section members having one portion provided with an outward bulbed edge, and in which members the diaphragm retroversions and rigid bars snugly fit; means securing the diaphragm, retroversions, reinforcing bars and U-section members permanently together; bearer bars coactive with the U-section bulbed edges; and attaching means whereby each diaphragm is sealingly connected to the respective car ends for formation 0! continuous outer and inner vestibule side and ceiling protective portions.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the diaphragms include relatively spaced units one of which consists of a single sheet or rubber, and the other comprises side sheets with a ceiling sheet having the namnng portions lap in the side sheets and detachably connected thereto.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the bearer bars are of angle section and have their lower portions slopingly turned inwards, and the lower side portions of the diaphragm follow said inwardslopings so as to spacially underlie the adjoining lower parts of the car ends. J

4. The combination or claim 1, wher n one portion of the U-section members is edge-bulbed and wider than the other portion; and said edge-bulbed portion, with the U-section rounding, merge into an angular comer affording a longitudinal abutment for registration with the car end side edges.

MAX SEEL. 

